Reply To: Engineer – Fireman’s Lineup Board – Cotter, Arkansas

[mopac]

Bill, If you remember the Arkansas Division ended at Cotter and the Northern Division started at Cotter. North of Cotter was dispatched and handeled by Kansas City Dispatcher’s office and South of Cotter was dispatched and handled by Little Rock Dispatcher’s office. All I know is when I was working at Cotter on this date, June 20, 1971 the Cotter and Memphis crews were running on interdivisional runs between Cotter and Memphis. When I worked at Cotter I was the go between for the Little Rock and Kansas City Dispatcher’s offices. Hardly ever would they talk with each other direct. Everything was relayed through the Cotter office. One thing I do seen to remember is at times during contract negoations the Arkanas Division would cancel the interdivisional agreement and the crews would go back to changing at Newport. I seem to remember there were times when I was working at Cotter that the Cotter crews were only going to Newport. You might have just hit a time working in Newport when the interdivisional agreement was not in effective and the crews were changing at Newport, so it would have made sense to have the T.S.E. switch number 201. When the crews were not changing at Newport I would have been surprised that they would pay the road crew to sit while the Newport T.S.E. switched their train. Not sure if there is anyone left around Little Rock that would be able to confirm what I am talking about here or not. Not to many old heads left. Hope this helps.